Taliban militants

DUSHANBE, July 31. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia proposed to the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) to conclude a framework agreement on border co-operation to remove after-effects of possibly worse situation in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers from the SCO states in the Tajik capital on Thursday.

“Today further joint efforts for effective response to current events in the world and region is on the agenda,” he said, adding that “This is primarily the situation in Afghanistan with due account of “the factor of 2014.”

“We welcomed presidential elections in that country, but their results are unclear yet,” the Russian foreign minister said, adding that “Risks of “collapse” persist in the situation after withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan and instability engulfing Central Asian region.”

“A framework agreement on border issues may become promising in the fight against penetration of terrorists and religious extremists in Central Asian countries. Drafting of this document for signing already at a summit in Dushanbe would meet our common interests,” he said.

Lavrov also proposed “to take additional measures to ensure security of our countries to use possibilities of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure as much as possible to turn it in a universal centre in the fight against new challenges and threats.

SCO draft development strategy until 2025

The foreign ministers of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) have approved the organisation’s draft development strategy until 2025, Tajikistani Foreign Minister Sirodjidin Aslov said on Thursday.

“At the meeting we approved the draft resolution of the Council of Heads of State “On the SCO Draft Development Strategy until 2025,” which will determine the guidelines for future interaction and improve our action efficiency,” he said.

“The current meeting’s peculiarity is that the work on the coordination and preparation of legal documents on the admission of new members is actually on the homestretch,” Aslov said. “The delegations’ heads have approved draft procedures for the granting of SCO member status and a new version of the model memorandum on the obligations of applicant states, seeking the SCO member state status.